The Society for Male Reproduction and Urology

	Androgens in Health and Disease Edited by Carrie J. Bagatell, M.D. and William J. Bremner, M.D., Ph.D. Totowa, New Jersey, Humana Press, Inc., 448 pages, 2003.
	The Epididymis: From Molecules to Clinical Practice. A Comprehensive Survey of the Efferent Ducts, the Epididymis, and the Vas Deferens Edited by Bernard Robaire, Ph.D. and Barry T. Hinton, Ph.D. New York, Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, 575 pages, 2002.

Androgens in Health and Disease
Edited by Carrie J. Bagatell, M.D. and William J. Bremner, M.D., Ph.D.
Totowa, New Jersey, Humana Press, Inc., 448 pages, 2003.

Over the past several decades, significant insight has been gained into the broad effects that androgens exert in many aspects of normal physiology. This book very effectively integrates current reviews of androgens both from the basic science and clinical perspectives. As such, it is appropriate reading for both clinicians and basic scientists.

The book is divided into three sections.
Section I is entitled “General Andrology,” and the biology of androgens and androgen receptors is thoroughly detailed by prominent authors in the chapters comprising this section. The molecular basis of androgen synthesis, transport, metabolism, and signaling are presented in the first nine chapters. These reviews are comprehensive and provide a state-of-the-art overview of androgen physiology at the molecular level. Chapter three, “Hypogonadism in Men”, details etiologic factors leading to primary and secondary hypogonadism as well as the associated clinical manifestations.

Section II is entitled “Androgen Effects on Physiological Systems.” The accompanying chapters detail the role of androgens in the skeletal system (bone), the coronary vasculature, the hematopoietic system, and cognition. Chapter 13 addresses “Androgens and Body Composition,” with a very good discussion of the therapeutic use of testosterone therapy in men afflicted with sarcopenia and men infected with HIV.

Section III is entitled “Applied Andrology,” and the role of androgens in a variety of clinical settings is detailed. In addition to the chapter “Androgen Treatment of the Hypogonadal Male,” individual chapters are dedicated to the treatment of each of the following patient groups: pubertal males, older men, and women. The emerging role of androgens as potential male contraceptive agents is also thoughtfully explored in one chapter. Finally, Chapter 20 provides a good overview of “Androgens as Anabolic Agents.” This timely chapter provides a detailed explanation on the clinical impact of testosterone supplementation, with a particularly good discussion of anabolic steroid use/abuse, effects on athletic performance, and laboratory detection methods.

“Androgens in Health and Disease” provides a thorough overview of androgens from both clinical and basic science perspectives. This book is timely, and it would be a useful resource for the clinician and basic scientist alike. While there is some overlap between content in some of the chapters, the book is overall well-organized, comprehensive, and quite enjoyable to read.

The Epididymis: From Molecules to Clinical Practice. A Comprehensive Survey of the Efferent Ducts, the Epididymis, and the Vas Deferens
Edited by Bernard Robaire, Ph.D. and Barry T. Hinton, Ph.D. New York, Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, 575 pages, 2002.

The goal of the editors of this text was to develop a comprehensive reference volume regarding the epididymis. They aimed to incorporate all aspects of epididymal biology, including historical background, basic cellular and molecular biology, and clinical issues. The authors have succeeded in developing a text that is broad in scope yet thorough in content. Each chapter is written by expert authors, providing what in aggregate is perhaps the most comprehensive text available regarding the excurrent ductal system.

The first section provides appropriate background, including a historical look at the biology of the excurrent ductal system, evolutionary issues, and a description of the innervation/vascular supply.

The second section is comprised of a series of scientific chapters detailing epididymal epithelial function. These chapters are exceptionally well-written. The accompanying illustrations and photomicrographs are of high quality and aide the reader in navigating this section of the text. Subsequent sections address development, aging, hormonal regulation, and effects of toxicants.

The fifth section consists of a series of chapters addressing spermatozoal changes during epididymal transit. Specific topics detailed include: structural differentiation during post-testicular maturation, plasma membrane composition changes, and acquisition of sperm motility. These reviews are highly technical and collectively serve as an outstanding reference on the subject of post-testicular sperm maturation.

The final series of chapters provide a contemporary overview of “clinical considerations.” The clinical issues addressed include management of epididymal dysfunction, impact of obstruction on the epididymis, the epididymis as a target for male contraception, inflammatory conditions of the excurrent ductal system, and cancer of the epididymis. The authors selected for this section are renowned experts, and these chapters as a group are outstanding. The accompanying illustrations and photomicrographs are clear. A more comprehensive overview of sperm extraction techniques and microsurgical reconstruction (vasosvasostomy and epididymovasostomy) would be of significant benefit. I suspect that these may come with subsequent editions, in particular given recent data regarding outcomes with the intussuscepted technique for epididymovasostomy.

In summary, this text has no major flaws. It is an outstanding resource and may indeed be the most comprehensive and contemporary reference regarding the excurrent ductal system in print at this time.